NCJ Number
153911
Date Published
1987
Length
831 pages
Annotation
This is a transcript of testimony in hearings before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime of the House Judiciary Committee regarding legislation that would modify the 1968 Gun Control Act
Abstract
Much of the testimony focuses on the McClure-Volkmer bill, S. 49, which was passed by the Senate. Most witnesses, including representatives of law enforcement, oppose any easing of Federal law that requires a waiting period before a firearm purchase, during which background checks can be conducted to prevent the unlawful sale of firearms to persons with criminal histories and histories of mental disorder. Most witnesses, including victims of firearms crimes and their families, believe this is a reasonable effort to keep firearms out of the hands of those who would misuse them, without putting an undue burden on legal owners and users of firearms. Representatives from various gun owners associations, namely, the Firearms Hard Corps, Gun Owners of America, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, argue, on the other hand, that legislation that restricts and impedes the commercial sale of firearms does little or nothing to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals while it undermines the access of law-abiding citizens to firearms.